Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-06-11

euihs the MAINE Historical Societx
rendered Hon. ]. W. Bradbury of thi. c,,v
one OF it oldest and most esteemed member.
. banquet 1t Portland on the occasion of hi,
eighty-third birthday. 1t va. a memo,.h,e
eve mt and at the post prondial exercise. ON,
venerable fellow citizen made a verv h,nov
speech. Fly
AlIer Introductory remarks he spoke of the
importance OF preserving our early history
81. saio thaf nothing was known of State
SUI na'ions except what history preserved
.nat our early history was one full of inte,es,
ne earliest attempt at a permanent Eoylish
settlement under charter worthy the name
was within the borders of the territorv no,.
constituting the State.
| Mr. Bradbury then spoke of the work -
.ne society and the number of volume. n,h.
iisneo oy II ana Its Influence in favor of his
'orlcsi researches shown in the great number
u~" histories which have been published
Within few years. He enumerated them
as follows. the name of the town annes,;n,
nrst and the author following:
History of Union by Sibley: Waterford
warren; Woodstock, Lapham; Paris. Ian
nam aud Maxim; Orouo, Washburn: Wells
ana hennebunk, Bourne Castine, Wheeler
Fscataquis, Loring; Warren. Eaton; Bel.
fast, williamson; Saco and Biddeford. Fol.
som Camden, Locke; Gorhan. Pierce
hristol, Brewer and Johnson; Ancient Sheen.
scot, Cnshman; Livermore, Wa.bburn. port.
land, two editions, Willis; Portland in the
rast, Gould; Brunswick. etc, Wheeler
Gardiner and Pitts!on, Hanson; Norridge.
wock. etc, Hanson; Norridgewock. Allen
harrington, Butler; Norway, Lapham
turner, French; Rockland, etc, Warren
"inthroo' Thurston; Kennebunk, Brad
nury; rarsonsfield, Gin pressl; Augusta
NORM Windham, Smith Pamphlet histories
l->haplelgh, Loring; Esstport; Watervilte.
Sewall: Porter, Moulton; Bath: HouIton
The speaker referred to the original cor.
| porators OF the society and the numerous
eminent men that were among them. The
most distinguished was Gov King. who was
the nrst governor. and tribute t. his mem
Dry was due from the society. The speaker
then gave full sketch of Gov Kings life
and public services
Gen. Kings father died when he was young
and he did not have the advantages of educa
ton that his brother Rufus enjoyed II pos-
sessed largely the same mental characteristics
and was regarded by person. who knew them
| ooth az fully his equal in natural intellectual
power. Both engaged early in public life
| they ffered widely in their political princi
pies ana TOOK opposite sides in party politics
Rufus was federalist and William decided
hemocrat. He went to Topsham in 1897 when
ID years of age and worked in a saw mill Nv
his industry and energy he soon became a
mill owner and manufacturer of lumber. In
1900 he moved to Bath where he continued to
reside until his death. He built and owned
vessels and was engaged in trade with the
| west Indies, shipping lumber and bringing
| BACK careoes of the products of the Islands
While at Topsham he was elected
| representative to the general courts
in 1895, and again in 1896. After
his removal to Bath he was elected
representative from that town in 1904 5 6.
In 1907 he was elected Senator from the dis
trict, and again in 1903 i0-ll-lS-l9, six
reflections to that body He was made
Major General of the militia in 1911 Dur
ing the trying times of the war of 1925, he
gave patriotic and strong support to the
national administration of the government.
In the movement for separation from Massa
chusetts and the establishment of an indepen-
dent State, he took an active part and was
emphatlcaily tn header If the petitioners in
that long struggle, b fore the consent of the
old State could BE- obtained He was a dele
gate to the convention to prepare a constitu-
ton for the new STATE, and upon its organ'z
alton he WAS made its President That
convention was composed of men selected from
every part of the district, for their learning
abilities and fitnsss for the great work of
preparing the foundations of a governments
for State, and it was marked honor to be
chosen to preside over its deliberations. Such
a mind as Gov. Kings could not fail to leave
its impression upon the work of the conven-
tion And so admirably was that work ac
complished that no State ever entered the
yn,o 4 49,.
authority of the several departments of the
government, ard declaring the rights POS
sessed and reserved by the people, than that
prepared tor Maine and adopted BY her cit
| Zeus Amongst its provisions 1t CAREFUL,
secured entire religious freedom, and provid
ed for grand system of education for the
generations to come. Upon the organic alton
of the government under the constitution, he
was elected governor almost unanimously. II
was an almost formative period in the history
of the State. An entire code of statute laws
was to be prepared and enacted, and the pol
icy to be inaugurated in regard to the use OF
the public patronage and the constitution OF
the judiciary. Gov. Kings administration
WAS short, but long enough to show the char
acter of the man. 1t was fair aud elevated,
and rose to the rank of stat smanshp, While
he had decided party principles, he was tht
| uoNeEuOT VI Tue ctale anu wv VI hei
party.
find in the sble speech of Senator Ham
lin. in 1873, upon the presentation of Gov.
Kings statue to be placed in the. National
Ststuary Hall, the following tribute to his
character: mot only did he display the rar-
| est discrimination in selecting learned, able
and upright judges, but, although his own
political views were always strong and
sharply defined, he rose clear and
high above party, and consu
tuled the courts from the eminent men
of the two parties of that time that the con-
fdence and affection of the whole body OF
the people was received for the tribunals ap
pointed to administer jusuce and determine
private rights So should our judiciary sys-
tens ever be organized and maintained" A
lust and eloquent tribute worthy
Of the orator. the subject and the
occasion. Before the term tor which he had
been elected had expired, he resigned and ac
cepted the office of commissioner under The
treaty with Spain for the purchase of Florida
IL is said he was regarded as the leading mar
on tn, commission. In 1888 he was appointed
hv President Jackson collector of the port o.
Bath Under the act for the removal of thu
capital to Augusts. he was appointed com
missioner to superiptend the erection of thu
State House. Always interested 10 the eau ss
of education. he was trustee of Bowdoir
college and aided in the erection OF its granite
chapel. In his public career he showed the
1 of